Socket ratchet wrench



.W. E. GIFFRD AND W. R. SMITH'.

SOCKET BATCHET WRENCH. APPLICATION FILED ocr. Io, 192|.

1,435,288. Patented Nov. 14,1922.

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` arcaica WILLIAM E. GIFFORD, 0F WORCESTER, AND WILLIS R. SMITH, 0F AUBURN, MASSA- CHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS T0 VIKING SPECIALTY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

Sooner aa'rcnn'r WRENCH.

Application led October 10, 1921. Serial No. 506,720.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, WILLIAM E. GIFFORD and WILLIS R. SMITH, citizens of the United States, respectively residing at Worcester and Auburn, both in the county of Worces ter and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new an useful Socketl Ratchet Wrench, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improvement overy the construction shown in our lapplication filed tFeb. 1l, 1921, Serial No. 444,192, and

this a plication is in part a continuation thereo.

The principal objects of this invention are to provide a socket wrench (construction with a readily detachable handleso that it 1Ncan be made up with two sockets projecting in opposite directions and with different handles so as to employ it for screwing up a nut or unscrewing it with a ratchet motion in the 'most inaccessible places; to provide a 4simpler and more convenient form of detachable Socket so that sockets of different sizes and sha e can be kept in stock as apart of the equlpment and applied readily without necessitating the employment of a skilled mechanic; and to provide improvements in the means for detachably holding the sockets, and the general arrangement of the degreat utility in the average shop or factory.

Reference isito be had to the accompanying drawings, inwhich Fig. 1 is a side view of a wrench constructed in accordance with this invention,

with parts in section,.to show interior construction; f

Fig. 2 is a plan of the same; and Fig. 3 is a similar view of a rod constituting a part of this invention.

n the form illustrated, the invention is shown as 'comprisinga two-headed ratchet wrench. This involves afhead 10 oflcylindrical shape mounted on each end of a rod 11 which constitutes the handle. The face lof each head-is constructed in 'the form of a rack 13 madeup `of radial ratchet teeth. One rack is left handed and the other right handed. On the ratchet end of each head is a central recess 12screw threaded at the loot-l tom and having a shoulder at the outer end ofthe thread. l'

21 to t the nut or bolt head onl which it is In practice several sizes intended to use it. of these socket members are provided, each 'size consisting of a pair adapted to be used for right and left hand respectively. These are intended to be replaced by a pair oit another size whenever desired, or they can of course be replaced individually.

' At the bottom of the socket 21 is an en larged recess 22 of cylindrical shape. The continuation of the central passage is designed to receive and guide the head 16, of similar size and Shape, on the cylindrical stud 14. y v At the bottom the central recess 12 in the lsocket member 20 has a shoulder on/which bears the end ofthe spring 15. The otherv end of thespring presses against the under side of the head 16 of the stud 14. This holds the stud 14, and therefore, the socket member 20, in position, but allows it to rotate. At the inner end of the central passage it is reduced to the diameter of the recess 12 to receive the stud 14. T his forms a shoulder 17. y

In order to permit of a ratchet action when the handle 11-is turned on the axis of the .In Figs. l and 2 we have shown the two. heads 10 as connected by a rod .11 which, as

stated, constitutes the handle. This rodv is shown -as hexagonal in the present case andv in any case is non-circular. In order to receive it each head 10 is provided with a passage 23 extending into it from one side at an angle of 90 to the axis of the head and of the same shape as the handle. The handle itself is provided with a transverse recess 24 in which is a spring 25 and a ball 26. The outer end of the passage 24 is contracted so that the ball cannot be dislodged. rll-his ball is pressed with considerable pressure against 011e of the flat walls of the passage 23 and holds the head and handle together when the are oncel assembled.

t is to lbe noted that near each edge of the handle 11 there is a circumferential groove 30 and in this groove there is a circular wire 31 extendingsubstantially all the way around and having its ends located in the groove as well as the rest of the wire. This wire projects from the groove along the flat sides of the handle and constitutes a mere stop for it. lt comes against the wall of the head when the handle is inserted.

lt is to be noted that -the two heads lat the opposite ends of the-handle are arranged to extend from the handle in opposite directions, although either ot them might be `turned around 60 or 120 or even 180 with respect to the other on the hexagonal-handle. On this account, lthe device can be used in various places which are otherwise inaccessible.

In the construction shown in Fig. 3 there is a rod 32 having the general characteristics of the handle 11. It has the spring preed balls 36 like the balls 26 and it has the groove 30 and the wire 31. But in this case only one of these wires is used because this rod is employed as indicated in Fig. 1 for supporting an vadditional socket member 37 on one of the ordinary socket members 20. rllhis isfor the purpose ot providing a greater range in the utility of the device as will appear readily'` The socket member 37 is applied to the socket member 20 by inserting the rod 32 in either one of them up to the wire 31 and then applying it to the other in an obvious manner.

It will be seen that by the arrangements provided the socket `members can be applied to the handle at any angle thereto clrcumferentially but always at right angles to its length,` also `that the parts can be connected together simply and conveniently and rapidly. These `facts render the tool very useful' by reason of the ease with which it can be introduced into places that would otherwise bepractically inaccessible'. The addition of a socket head 37 is also of great importance for the reason that it increases the range of the wrench materially. lt will be understood, of course, that thls member 37 as well as each ofthe members 20, while in icating a s ecitic socket head in the drawings, is inten ed to represent a whole series of socket heads having sockets therein for i messes to all the details of construction herein shown and described, but what we do claim 1s:'-

1. As an article of manufacture, a ratchet wrench comprising a head, a handle secured thereto, said head being of cylindrical form and having a Hat circular 'rack on its Hat face consisting of a series of radial teeth projecting therefrom, a'wrench socket having a rack fitting said teeth mounted on said head and rotatable thereon, said socket havingan axial passage therethrough provided with a central recess, a stud in said passage having a head on its 'outer end movable axially. in said recess, a spring acting normally to force said teeth together, and means at'the inner end of the stud between the recess and handle for holding said socket on the head.

2. In a ratchet wrench, the combinatie of a head'having a circular face provided with a series of ratchet teeth arranged in a.

circle on the face constituting a rack, said head having a recess extending inwardly and centrally from said face with a shoulder at the bottom, a wrench socket placed in line with said head, and having a tooth engaging the rack on the adjacent face thereof, means detachably fixed in said head and bearing on said shoulder for preventing the removal of the socket and ielding means for holding the socketin p ace to force the tooth into engagement with said rack.

3. ln a ratchet wrench, the combination of a head having a handle projecting therefrom radially, said head being of cyhndrical form and having a tooth on its end, a socket member having a circular rack on its end tting against the end of said head and enaging the tooth thereon, said socket member having a socket for a nut or bolt head at its outer end, a headed stud therein and'projectin from the face having a rack thereon, a spring for holding the socket member yieldingly on the stud, and means in said ead for rigidly but detachably holding said stud thereon at its inner end.

4f. ln a wrench, the combination with a ratchet wrench head having a non-circular passage therein, of a'r'od having a similar cross-section and provided with vspring pressed means therein near its end for engaging a dat wall of said passage and hold- -m the rod removably therein, and also provi ed with a circferential groove thereface of said head when the rod is inserted therein.

5. In a ratchet wrench, the combinatio of a handle, a head located with its length at right angles to the axis of the handle and havin teeth t ereon and having a central recess extending into it from the end, a wrench socket arranged in alignment with said head and having a circular series of teeth on its adjacent flat face constituting a circular rack a fiat end provided with ratchety located in position to engage said teeth, of a central stud having a slotted head at one end and a reduced screw thread at the other screwing into the head, whereby it can be readily detached, said socket having a recess through which said stud extends, and a spring in saidv recess bearin on its bottom and on the undr side' of sai head.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto afiixed our signatures.

WILLIAM E. GIFFORD. WILLIS R. SMITH. 

